


much much more

by evenlypaced



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Casual Relationship, College, Eventual relationship, Hooking up, M/M, Modern AU, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:41:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21737770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evenlypaced/pseuds/evenlypaced
Summary: Rhett is awakened by a casual relationship with a certain Link Neal, finding trouble when feelings and the bounds of their relationship get clouded
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 12
Kudos: 63





	1. • chapter one •

**Author's Note:**

> this brainchild has been cooking for a while. i know it’s 0 shock that it’s another college au. They were truly in their idiot boy prime, what can i say 🤷🏻♀️

His back was against the wall when they met, eyes hooded and alcohol coursing through his veins when he’d made a crack about Rhett’s height, his head already dizzy when he pressed the boy against the wall and fervently closed their mouths on each other, letting time pass them as they stood their, languidly letting their tongues glide against each other. 

Link - as he found out probably too long after having his tongue down his throat - claimed to have had a good enough time to drunkenly get his number and promise to call him if he found himself needing a hand. He winked as he left, leaving Rhett to curse himself for not asking for a number in return 

He hadn’t expected a text at all, let alone the next morning, a simple  _ hey, it’s link ;)  _ adorning his screen when he woke up. His body shivered remembering the way Link’s hands roamed against his skin, fingers flying across his keyboard to let Link know as much. 

No reply came and he worried he’d gone too far with his initial message, scared he’d messed the whole thing up until a picture began downloading from Link, a full spread of his taut body being on display within seconds. Rhett felt all of his blood rush south as his eyes scanned the picture, his now hard cock twitching as his gaze fell to Link’s erection splayed on his stomach, dripping down to his bare stomach. 

_ come over? _

It’s almost too easy, too inviting. Link was undeniably attractive, they’d already kissed, what was the harm? 

Halfway out the door he remembered to ask where Link lived, rushing across the lawn separating the buildings as soon as the text came through. He was hit with a sudden streak of anxiety when he realized that he’d never done this before. He wasn’t the type for casual hookups, given he’d never really hooked up with anyone at all. The farthest he’d gone with a guy being a nervous hand job above the covers after an awkward date his first month on campus. He’d never heard from the boy again, even after insisting he didn’t mind how much Rhett stumbled over himself.

Link met him at the door, smile wide and casual as he welcomed him in like he was coming over to study. They walked to his room in comfortable silence, Rhett in awe of how Link seemed so cool about this. 

“My roommate’s still gone for the weekend, so we don’t have to worry about anyone bothering us.”

Rhett laughed nervously, “Oh, good. That’s good.”

Link smiled, moving into Rhett’s space to wrap one arm around his waist, “I’m really glad you answered, I was kicking myself for not taking you home last night.”

He was positively melting under Link’s calm and calculated touch, his hand grazing up Rhett’s torso to his face, fingers stroking his cheek lightly before pulling him in for a kiss. It was soft at first, heating up as Rhett relaxed into it. Link didn’t need alcohol to fake confidence, he oozed it naturally and it turned Rhett on to him that much more.

He was a careful lover, but not to chalk that up to a lack of intensity. He was sure of himself, and that eased Rhett into the tangle of limbs that fell down onto the mattress. Link didn’t let him feel left behind for a second, lips distracting him when he started falling too deep into his own head. He was guided through every step of the process, Link letting him know exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it. Link was a masterclass in losing your innocence one slight of hand at at time.

By the time Rhett came he was utterly spent, Link pulling up to wipe his mouth from where Rhett’s release dribbled down, eyes locking with his new lover’s as he panted, “We should do this again sometime.”

Link pulled back, pulling on his clothes, “Do you want me to walk you out?”

Rhett nodded.  _ Casual, of course.  _

Link waved as Rhett left the building, promising to text him again soon. Rhett reminded himself it was meant to be transactional, he wasn’t dating the guy. He brushed off the cheap feeling, his phone buzzing with a message from Link,  _ maybe I should have let you stay for round 2 ;) _

A picture of his cock in his hand adorned the screen, paling in comparison to up close view he’s gotten barely an hour earlier. He was tempted, but didn’t want to seem too eager. He locked the screen, vowing not to respond until he was safely back in his room, away from the temptation of turning around and busting Link’s door in.

Inevitably, he spent too much time wondering how to respond that he eventually put his phone down, hatching up to text Link in a few hours, claiming to have fallen asleep post escapades. Link seemed to buy it, making a cheesy joke and asking to see him again soon.

They fell into a comfortable cycle of meeting up, hooking up, and then splitting up. They were practically strangers otherwise, Rhett wondering if Link was hiding him as well from his friends as he was. 

The first time Link invited him to stay, he had to ask if he’d heard him correctly. 

“It’s late, it’s cold, and my roommate is gone. What’s the harm?”

Rhett shrugged, “Didn't think we were like that.”

Link laughed, rolling his eyes as if Rhett was being utterly ridiculous in this situation, “Stay or don’t man, I don’t give a shit.”

Rhett relaxed into the pillows, Link moving to throw the blanket over them. He didn’t comment as the other man sidled up to him, throwing an arm over his torso and a leg between his own. Link passed out almost immediately, Rhett trying not to dwell on how endearing he found the soft open mouth snoring to be.

He shut his eyes tight, letting the exhaustion of the day finally wash over him. 

He woke up early, the sun barely glaring through the window as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Link was still wrapped around him, sleeping soundly as ever. 

Not wanting to admit how nice it had been to sleep next to someone, and how much he didn’t want it to end, he slid carefully out of the embrace and looked for his discarded clothing. Link had more than extended him courtesy for not kicking him out last night, but he was far too afraid of overstaying his welcome. 

He didn’t know if Link’s roommate would be back, if Link’s roommate even knew he was gay. Rhett knew almost nothing about Link, and it seemed like it would stay that way. The sting of the realization made it that much easier to slip out, Link neve stirring once. 

Still he smiled as he checked his phone to see Link’s name light up the screen, sipping his freshly brewed coffee as he sat at his desk, safely back in his own room now.

_ didn’t see you slip out this morning, was hoping for a better wake up than a cold bed :( _

__

**_had to be somewhere._** **_maybe next time?_**

_ next time, huh? holding you to it :p _ ****

Rhett stares back at it, aware now he’d been maybe too forward assuming it would happen again. Link didn’t seem to mind, but he had to be careful. He didn’t want to mess things up when they had a good thing going. 

They don’t meet up again until almost a week later, Rhett fretting that he actually  _ had  _ messed things up. A simple  _ roommate gone, movie night?  _ eased his worries, typing out a  _ sure thing, omw  _ before leaving his room at lightning speed.

Link smiled as Rhett let himself in, motioning for him to join the setup on the couch, popcorn and blankets set out for them. “I hope Die Hard is okay, it’s one of the few DVDs we have laying around.”

Rhett nodded, knowing they wouldn’t last long with their attention on the movie anyway. He got antsy as the filmed played on, hitting almost the hour mark before Link even moved toward him, leaning his head against Rhett’s shoulder. 

Rhett took the contact as initiation, turning his head to meet Link where he sat, moving into kiss him fiercely.

Link laughed against his mouth, a breathy “Oh, okay” spilling into before working his way into Rhett’s lap. 

They made out languidly, Link seemingly resistant to 

Rhett’s urge to move forward, momentarily content with just sitting there and enjoying the soft roll of Rhett’s tongue against his own. Rhett sighed as Link finally moved a hand down between them, reaching under the waistband to grasp Rhett’s cock, making him roll his hips eagerly.

Link had always been so calculated and sure in these situations, seemingly just taking Rhett along for the ride in his quest to climax. It felt different this time, like Link’s attention was only on Rhett’s pleasure for once, making him uneasy in a comforted way. His breath quickened as Link’s hand became a blur over his now exposed cock.

Rhett came with a harsh gasp, nestled into Link’s neck as the boy on top of him cooed at him, “So good, so good for me, baby”.

Had it not been for the afterglow, he might have cared more about the sudden praise and pet name to go with it. Link rolled off of him, relaxing back into the couch as he lounged his legs over Rhett’s own. Rhett slid his hand up Link’s thigh, intent on returning the favor. Link smiled, a weak “You don’t have to” rolling out in a moan as Rhett moved between his legs, ripping down his pants to immediately lick a stripe up his straining cock.

Link’s hand flew to Rhett’s hair as he took his length down further, feeling a tug at his locks as he worked his mouth in earnest. The moans he elicited were exciting his spent arousal, Link writhing underneath him fueling the flames licking up his spine. 

“So good, so fucking good, don’t stop,  _ please _ , baby, oh.”

The terms of endearment flew out again, making Rhett tense, afraid to fall into the trap of in-the-moment intimacy. Link wasn’t his, he wasn’t Link’s baby. The attempt to make the separation in his mind must has stalled his efforts, as he felt Link thrust up, begging Rhett to finish him off. He let his mind go blank, Link’s words a distant echo as he felt the relief of Link’s release slipping down his throat. He pulled off, wiping his mouth as he sat up, taking a small glance at Link blissed out on the couch. He refused to take in the sight, mind yelling at him to run.

“So I’ll see you around.”

Link looked up at Rhett as he slid his shoes back on, rising to leave the couch.

“We didn’t even get to watch the movie, thought we could order dinner in a bit.”

They didn’t do this. They didn’t hang out. They fucked and they went about their day. 

He ignored the hurt look on Link’s face, a rare break to his rock solid confidence, as he awkwardly rubbed at his neck. 

“I got an exam coming up, should probably make Gregg study with me.”

Link’s eyebrows shot up, “Gregg?”

_ Oh god, he doesn’t think-  _ “My roommate, him and his girlfriend invited me to study tonight. Figured I wouldn’t be here long.”

“Yeah, of course, go study. See you around.”

An eternity of awkward eye contact later and Rhett was gone, walking fast into the night in hopes the chill of the winter air would freeze out the utter guilt he was carrying with him.

He pretended not to feel the sting as the only response to  **_can i see you tomorrow?_ ** was  _ Read 10:36pm. _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long to finish, i’m a disaster whoops
> 
> ——  
> no betas, we die like men so my apologies for any glaring mistakes ✌️

Rhett was all but relieved as soon as the  _ busy?  _ text came through late Friday night after not seeing Link for over a week. He made it to Link’s door in record time, hoping his eagerness now made up for dipping so quickly at their last meeting.

Link wasted no time yanking Rhett into the room, slamming the door behind him as he threw him onto the bed, straddling him instantly. Rhett’s hands roamed up and down his already stripped torso, relishing in the feel of the expanse of skin he’d been deprived of for a week now.

“Link I’m-“

Link shook his head, “Shh, no talk. Touch me.”

He unceremoniously threw a condom at Rhett, leaving him to work it open while he worked Rhett’s pants down, pushing them completely toward the ground. The commanding nature would have been hot if it hadn’t felt so disconnected. Any tenderness Link had built up over their interactions was sorely missing now. 

Apparently unwilling to lose the pace to Rhett's nearly audible thought process, he stole the packet away from Rhett, moving back to roll it down his length. 

He gave Rhett a few rough strokes, one of Rhett’s fingers finding their way to Link’s ass, dipping low to find that Link had done his own prep work, probably knowing full well Rhett would run at his beck and call. 

Link slapped his hand away, moving instead to rise up on his knees, pressing down on Rhett’s cock until he was fully seated. He began moving up and down, head thrown back as he took Rhett down over and over again. He was uncharacteristically quiet, lips red and bite ridden in obvious attempts to keep quiet. 

Rhett watched as Link total took control, moving further to pin Rhett’s hands above his head. His breath quickened, panting out hotly as he came face to face with Rhett.

Rhett moved up to kiss him, but was quickly denied the opportunity as Link moved his head to the side, moving instead to suck deep marks into Rhett’s collarbone. He had no protest in his body, letting Link take from him as he pleased. 

Link came first, shooting across Rhett’s chest with the first uncontained sound of the night. He hurriedly bounced on Rhett’s cock, wordlessly urging him to finish, too. “Fuck, I’m gonna, oh  _ god _ .”

Link rolled his eyes, “Then do it big guy, c’mon.”

Rhett whined high and needy as he came, feeling Link pull off almost immediately. He returned to the bed as quickly as he rose, rubbing down the mess on Rhett’s chest with one the shirts that had been discarded to the side.

Link laid back down, throwing the fabric down the side of the bed carelessly. Rhett turned toward him, leaning in to kiss Link when the other boy sat up, grabbing Rhett’s shirt from where it had been tossed over the headboard. He shoved it at him, letting it fall into Rhett’s bare lap. 

“Text me tomorrow, maybe we can meet before my night class.”

Rhett was at a loss for words now. Link’s demeanor was frigid, hand waving Rhett off, the message loud and clear.  _ Leave, now. _

Link turned over, grabbing his phone and letting the comforter fall over his head.  _ So much for goodbye _

With that Rhett was gone, the light feeling of relief he was used to walking out of Link’s dorm now but a faint memory. The breeze outside was unseasonably warm for a change, but he still shivered the whole way back home.

Their next meet up felt just as empty, Rhett unable to chalk it up to one off day once again. It seemed to only escalate in how impersonal the interaction became, Rhett wondering if he should have brought his wallet for how cheap the whole ordeal felt. 

His high hopes for a renewed spark once again plummeted as Link made his way on all fours, not once looking back as Rhett took him with all he had. His normally vocal counterpart was eerily quiet once more, head shoved deep into his pillow to stifle anything that threatened to rise up out of his throat.

The only sign Link was mildly enjoying himself was the full body tremors even he couldn’t fend off as Rhett pounded on just the right spot inside of him, determined to get  _ something _ from their continued hook ups. 

The final straw was the night Link attempted to pull Rhett into the communal bathroom, the taller boy baffled as he was thrust into a stall and pushed to his knees. “Got a date waiting, you should hurry.”

Rhett stood up, pushing Link against the opposite wall, moving to leave immediately. “Fuck you.”

“Don’t yell at me for giving you what you wanted.”

Rhett stared at him, dumbfounded, “When did I  _ ever _ ask to be used and dumped on a bathroom floor?”

“You hate hanging around so much, why waste the time?”

Rhett sighed, sudden realization hitting him, “Can we please talk about this in your room.”

Link didn’t budge, arms crossed as he leaned harder into the tiled wall behind him. Whether truly unaffected or just skilled in hiding how really was feeling, all Rhett felt now was his temper rise as Link held strong. 

“ _ Please.” _

Link rolled his eyes but motioned for the stall door, Rhett silently relieved as he walked into the still empty bathroom, not wanting anyone else privy to the spat. Rhett only felt the chill of familiarity ghost over him as he approached Link’s room, hands shoved tepidly in his pocket as Link fumbled with the key.

Neither moved to sit, standing in a pseudo face-off stance as they waited for the other to break the silence. 

“You wanted to talk, let’s hear it.”

“I don’t know what I did Link but if you just shut me out I can’t fix it.”

Link laughed harshly, head thrown back for effect, “We’re fuck buddies. You don’t wanna hang out, that’s fine, but don’t lead me on. I can take casual, but I won’t be lied to.”

“What the  _ hell _ are you talking about, Link?”

“I got the message loud and clear the night you walked, sorry for thinking this was anything more than an easy fuck. To think for a second I liked you and that something could actually—“

Rhett shook with laughter instead of burning anger now, Link pausing in confusion, “Wanna let me in on the joke?”

“We’re idiots, Link.”

Link crossed his arms, still unsure of what Rhett was getting at, remaining unamused at the sudden change in demeanor. He cocked his head, Rhett still unable to fight off the giggles wracking him.

Rhett shook his head, “I liked you, you liked me, and we were both too blind to see it. Do you get it?”

It hung for a second, Rhett was washed over with ease as Link’s smile quirked up. Joint despair at their own expense dissipating at the concluded notion of shared blame was the most relief they’d felt in a long time.

“You’re a jerk, you know that? You could have just said something instead of running off.”

“I’ll call it even for you trying to make me suck you off on a bathroom floor.”

Link shoved at Rhett’s shoulder before moving into his space, arms locking around his middle before pressing his lips against Rhett’s for the first time in weeks. They melted into it, pulling the embrace tighter as Link dared to deepen it, spelling out everything he’d been holding back on.

Rhett broke the kiss first, pushing Link toward the bed, the pair more than ready to make up for lost time between them. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come find me on tumblr @ youdidinthedark

**Author's Note:**

> on tumblr @ youdidinthedark  
> drop me a line if you enjoyed it 😘


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